


What If

by Catchinglikekerosene



Series: What If Saga [1]
Category: Open Heart (Visual Novels)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Childhood Friends, Childhood Sweethearts, Exes, F/M, What-If, the one that got away
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-15 06:47:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28559313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Catchinglikekerosene/pseuds/Catchinglikekerosene
Summary: They were something to one another years ago, and now they’re back in the same old town with the same old friends wondering ‘What If’.--So this is part of an AU where Bryce and Hannah (MC) knew one another as kids and did a delicate, complicated dance between feelings and intimate actions - navigating sexuality, propriety and desire.This piece is them again meeting years later.
Relationships: Bryce Lahela/Main Character (Open Heart)
Series: What If Saga [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2092479
Kudos: 1





	What If

**Author's Note:**

> Series Soundtrack: The 1 - Taylor Swift; Tolerate It - Taylor Swift; Honest - Bazzi; 3:15 - Bazzi; Almost (Sweet Music) - Hoizer; Closer - The Chainsmokers (feat. Halsey); Satisfied - Hamilton Soundtrack; If The World Was Ending - JP Saxe (feat. Julia Michaels); Closure - Taylor Swift; Cardigan - Taylor Swift

Just like old times, the clan of former high school friends were relaxed together around the same old bonfire of their usual spot beside the residing shore. Hannah had come back home for the first few weeks of summer in what felt like eons since moving away and starting her new life in Tennessee. 

Unknown to the group of eight, it was also the first time Bryce ventured home since leaving for college.

The second he had rolled up onto their usual sandy spot in his trusty Jeep Wrangler, Bryce was welcomed with open arms and slaps on the back from others in the gang; the old pals embracing as if no time had passed at all. Most of them had done the exact same with Hannah hours earlier.

Though Hannah stayed perched on the weathered log she claimed earlier, gaze darting from the animated scene his presence stirred and to the burning embers and crashing waves. Looking for anything to keep her hidden from him. 

It had been years since Hannah and Bryce had been in the same time and place. Never did it occur to her that he’d be back too - she assumed she’d never see him again. Bryce lived in California now. They lived on opposite sides of the country and had severed contact well before she left for Nashville. It had been a few years since the inevitable blow out that destroyed it all. Hannah fled and rebuilt, while Bryce… did whatever Bryce was up to now. Neither really had a reason to be back here and now, with all of  _ them _ , since departing. 

Yet here they were. 

Loud, excitable conversation died down as old friends made their way back to the pit.

“I can’t believe he’s here!” Lina exclaimed in tipsy disbelief to no one in particular. “Did anyone know he’s back in town?” 

Hannah looked up from the grains of sand that scratched against her bare feet and to her childhood friend who’s hazy brown eyes were questioning her and the other three young adults more intrigued with their drinks and phones than the grand return. Hannah gave a light shrug and shook her head slowly. 

Lina  _ hmm _ ’d before bounding away, not entirely convinced no one knew Bryce Lahela was back in town.

Out of the corner of Hannah’s eye she saw  _ him; _ the boy she left behind long ago. 

_ Damn. _

_ He grew up. _

He was the exact opposite of the Bryce Lahela she knew. For Christ's sake,  _ Bryce _ was wearing skinny jeans! Black skinny jeans, alongside a gray Henley with the top two buttons undone. Something he never would have worn back when she knew him.

Choice of clothing was just where the differences began. His body was now defined and muscular, and he seemed taller, somehow, standing just above six foot; compared to the soft and toned seventeen-year-old version of Bryce who stood just a couple inches taller than her back in the day. He had more definition in his face, drawing attention to his strong jawline with five o’clock shadow ever present, and his eyes - his effervescent eyes - were still the same shade of honey, inviting her back in. 

The Bryce she grew up with would have never been seen the way she was seeing Bryce now. The sight quite honestly left her grappling for oxygen. 

It had been half a decade since their last encounter, still he had such an affect on her. 

Bryce greeted everyone like the social butterfly he was known as, moving counterclockwise around the fire pit to say hello to those who didn’t run into his arms moments before.

She hoped he hadn’t seen her. She hoped that between the new hairdo and clothes she was wearing, and the towering flames of the fire were enough to hide her in plain sight. She hoped that he’d pretend she wasn’t here - she wasn’t ready to talk about the ghosts of their past quite yet, if ever. 

All too soon, he was standing in front of her, his black and white classic Converse settling into the sand first. Then his golden eyes landed on Hannah - her blue eyes trained on the brown glass bottle in her hands, fingers picking at the label. Her skin pricked with goosebumps at the all-too-familiar and enticing heat radiating from him. Her mouth dried out and all sense of vocabulary left her. 

Her eyes met his - deep ocean met the sandy shore. 

_ Shit.  _

His face lit up into a warm, bright smile, his not so foreign lips curving against his perfectly aligned teeth. 

“You’re back!” Bryce exclaimed, leaning closer towards her to pull her into a hug, like  _ nothing _ had happened the last time they saw each other. Like they never ended on a bad note. 

That same old electricity tingled through them as Hannah gave him a half-hearted embrace back. 

“For a few days,” she nodded uncomfortably as they pulled away. 

“It’s good to see you, Han,” he said, none the wiser to her reservations. “Hear you’ve been making waves inland.” 

The goofy grin that was stuck on his face transported her back to their youth; the memories forming an involuntary smirk. For a moment, she was back to being just a girl lost in the comforting sunshine of her friend’s brother. 

“I’m loving it.” It was the most honest words she’s ever spoken to him. “Didn’t think I’d be happy out in the countryside but I am.”

“I’m glad. You deserve it.” 

The air between them hung in an awkward silence briefly, before their encounter ended all too suddenly. They could have talked more -  _ Bryce wanted to talk more _ \- but he was pulled away, leaving Hannah to stir in the sand. 

***

As the evening progressed the friends drank through multiple packs of beer and roasted marshmallows over the dwindling fire; reminisced and told stories of the adventures they had been on since the last time they all had gathered together. The odd thing about all the laughs, volleyball tossing and friendly roasting was that they all ebbed and flowed together like not a single fallout or argument had happened. 

Yes, it was comforting to be around her people again, but it felt unnatural after so long. So much had happened. 

_ Surely _ they all would have grown apart by now. 

There were moments where it felt like they were all playing a children's game of pretend. A spell of silence would fall upon the antiquated schoolmates, a quiescence where she could hear the cicadas chirp and the waves crash and her own heartbeat drum in her ears. A silence that would last until someone would offer a random quip, and everyone would start laughing, brushing off the obvious displacement. An unsaid vow cloaking the air like a bubble of the past, each individual stringently holding onto the replication of what they once were. 

Just like every gathering back then, eventually, Bryce and Hannah found their way to one another. 

He was sitting in the open trunk of his car, his long legs slightly swinging back and forth as he gazed out in the distance. Bryce watched his old friends’ antics and the waves constantly crashing to the shore; the deep blue sea complimenting the hues of the warm-tone oranges, pinks and yellows of the falling sunset. 

“Hey,” she greeted as she approached him, a soft smile spreading across her pink lips. 

Her cheeks rosy and flushed, her body walking back in time before her sensible brain could recover from the inhibitions she downed like a vice. Just like the sea Hannah was drawn to him - a repetitive habit she couldn’t quite quit. She could pull away again and again but he’d always be there - soft, auspicious assurance welcoming her back. 

She should have felt cautious under his watchful eye that still knew her more than either cared to give notice to. But she didn’t. All she felt was the warmth stirring through her veins. She threw caution to the wind and took a chance. Years passed and the hatchet was nowhere in sight. 

Bryce smiled back, patting the empty space beside him; 

“Hey.” 

Wordlessly and without a semblance of previous hesitation, Hannah joined him. 

The two watched the antics of their formerly chosen family from the sidelines, letting the salt filled air lull them into a hushed tranquility. A feeling so peaceful it was like they were off visiting an unknown land for the very first time, and realizing they’ve wasted so much time elsewhere. 

No words were spoken between the two, instead, their bodies fell back into place; inching closer and closer together with each wave that fell over the shoreline, to a point where their shoulders were just a breath away from touching.

The group didn’t notice their absence, and frankly neither did they. Between the two of them, the darkening sky and the fresh air, comfort embraced them, transported them back in time. A sort of amenity that wasn’t felt when they were huddled amongst the group. 

As if the universe was begging for them to dive into this cliché movie moment, a gruff breeze swept upon them, rustling Hannah’s loose amber locks over her face and sending a forceful chill up her spine. 

Bryce didn’t think twice before leaning slightly away from her and further into his car. He pulled a discarded cardigan from the messy back seat and then returned to his place just an inch beside her, draping the soft fabric over her shoulders. Hannah looked up at him with thankful eyes, observing the faint sparkle in his golden irises as he looked back at her. 

The scent that fell off of his beloved cardigan intoxicated her farther; the soft, musky cologne attracting her to him. So unconsciously, she didn’t even realize her head had found purchase on his shoulder, the fresh sprits against his body mixing with the afternotes on the fabric and clogging her senses. Until Bryce let out a little chuckle, proceeding to wrap his arm around her and pulling her even closer towards him.

Naturally, Hannah snuggled into his enviable warmth, nuzzling the top of her head in the crook of his neck. Their bodies pressed together, melding like so many times before. 

Minutes passed as he held her close, the sky turning into a deep purple with the sun nearly set at the horizon. 

The words, so soft compared to his normal jovial cadence, departed his tongue so slowly, as if they were never meant to come out at all; 

“That night, what were you going to say before you chickened out?”

His low whisper crackled in her eardrums, pulling her from the peaceful tableau she had carved out of ignorant pretenses. 

Bryce felt her entire being tense under him. 

In the most passive,  _ Hannah _ way possible, she tried to play dumb, “What night?” 

Bryce let a miniscule ounce of space come between them, just enough to let himself look at her full face. Her gaze was straight ahead, eyelids drooping as the wind died down, and Bryce couldn’t decipher if it’s because she wanted to disappear or if the alcohol had finally taken hold. 

It didn’t matter. He pressed on; 

“You know...” 

_ Of course _ she knew. She thought about that night way more than she’d care to admit. The what if’s still haunted her in her sleep. That night could have changed  _ everything _ . 

> The quartet of teenagers had the whole house to themselves one Saturday night at Trevor’s family home. Ironically, in a building with more than enough space, they found themselves piling on top of each other in Trevor’s room. For some unforsaken reason, the group preferred being cramped on his full sized bed instead of sprawling out in the den with the 60” television. 
> 
> In the middle of the 4’ by 6’ bed was Trevor himself, and then Lina on his right, the two of them completely engrossed in some forgettable Youtube videos playing on Trevor’s laptop. Hannah was to Trevor’s left, Bryce on her other side; the two laying  _ so close _ . Pressed right up against one another and their fingers overlapping under the brown fleece blanket covering just them. Unintentional closeness on her part, she couldn’t speak for Bryce. 
> 
> They had been in close proximity before - many  _ almosts  _ before - but nothing so  _ intimate.  _
> 
> The videos kept the group entertained. Three sets of eyes glued to the laptop screen; a rogue set of courageous honey contemplating the violet haired girl next to him instead. This was as close as they had ever been. 
> 
> So Bryce began testing the waters. 
> 
> His rough forefinger began tracing patterns over the soft skin at the top of her hand. Circles. Figure eights. Light affection pouring into the dips of her knuckles. Warm breath purposefully flitting from his lips, set to meet the shell of her ear and caressing down her neck. She’d squirm in response, her senses aflame, egging him further on. Bryce’s left hand then trailed up her arm and back down, from her fingertips and, boldly, venturing off course to the swell of her tight jean clad hip. His right arm inconspicuously inching its way under her head, cradling against him with his palm at her chest. 
> 
> Hannah had to bite back gasps as he continued his wanton ministrations. Her mind was beginning to fog, newly straightened teeth sunk into the inside of her lip to keep her grounded to reality. Her dark azure eyes heavy lidded and concentrating on the glow of the laptop screen illuminating Trevor and Lina so close by. 
> 
> Hannah had had fantasies of what it would be like to call Bryce hers. The two had been doing a delicate dance between balancing their friendship expectations and navigating clandestine feelings. This certainly was not how she ever envisioned or imagined their first escapade going. Though she certainly wasn’t going to call it quits. Hannah wasn’t going to risk the wait of another few months for something to transpire - at any moment they would ruin this. Just like they’ve done many times before. 
> 
> Somehow, some way, through the discreet and captivated wriggling, she ended up laying on Bryce. Chest to chest. Nothing between them but flimsy clothing, and a blanket shielding their bodies from the others. 
> 
> The videos kept playing and neither were attentive to anything other than their racing hearts keeping time. Hannah kept her eyes on their friends, an excuse for their compromising position sitting at the tip of her tongue, readied like a sniper’s bullet. Bryce had other ideas for their use of time and place; to make the most of this rare moment alone with the girl he’d been heavily flirting with for over a year. With the girl he had a running bet with. With the girl who’s mind and sensibilities were so wild and enchanting. With the girl he wanted for longer than he could remember. 
> 
> Under the cover of fleece, Bryce’s soft hands began to wander further than just her arms. Wandering the places he spent many hours wondering about. 
> 
> His fingers slipped under her top to trace deliberate, pulse quickening patterns on the skin of her back before moving lower. 
> 
> And lower. 
> 
> And passed the elastic of her cotton underwear. 
> 
> Hannah had to stifle a light gasp. 
> 
> Bryce ceased all movements immediately. His inexperienced hands still, waiting. Could he really have read her signals all wrong? 
> 
> Her mind started racing.  _ Here? Now? _
> 
> This was more than she bargained for. She glanced over at Lina and Trevor, still munching on popcorn and blissfully unaware of the sacchariferous vexing going down. Her heart gave her mind a run for its money.  _ What does he think he’s doing?  _
> 
> _ It’s now or maybe never.  _
> 
> Hannah grabbed a fistful of his tee. 
> 
> Bryce was about to retract his hands and his audacious plan completely when she, ever so invitingly, moved up his body and rolled her hips against his just once. Shallow and uncertain, yet all the encouragement he needed. Bryce bit the inside his lip to keep the bright smile from breaking their cover as he continued to roam and discover her supple body. He began committing her womanly curves to memory. This was his shot and who knows when they’d be able to do this again. 
> 
> Hannah rested her frazzled head in the crook of his neck, one eye tasked with keeping look out. She’d never been so thankful for a blanket and their friends’ oblivious tendencies in her life. 
> 
> Bryce and Hannah weren’t dating. They weren’t anything but two teens who liked to flirt and keep one another company late into the night. They had deep, thoughtful conversations in the same breath as challenges and sexual innuendos. There was never a lack of conversation between them. 
> 
> But there was a lack of communication. Neither were willing to break barriers and admit their feelings out loud. Neither willing to ruin whatever delicate dance they found themselves endlessly twirling to when no one was watching. 
> 
> They were complicated. 
> 
> Bryce’s hips gradually thrusted up to coax her legs open; nudging them apart with a roll of his leg when she was taking a little too long to respond to his desire. Hannah was settled on him, pelvis to pelvis and she could feel his want between them. His hands spent so much time massaging her butt and pressing her into him. Pleasure coursing through him with every bit of added pressure. Yet he hadn’t gotten a single reaction from her, aside from a few deep breaths. Bryce knew he needed to change tactics. His firm fingers started dancing into dangerous territory beneath her clothes; trailing over her round hip and snaking between their bodies. 
> 
> Hannah bit down on her tongue. Her body responded before she even could process the sensation. Her hips rolled forwards the second he found her core, begging for more friction.  _ Needing _ it in ways she couldn’t comprehend. Her eyes shut tight, face nuzzling further into the soft skin of his neck. 
> 
> _ Jackpot _ . Bryce smiled to himself. 
> 
> The pads of his deft fingers moved in tantalizing circles over her clit causing Hannah to grind into him faster, harder, purposefully, without foresight. With his free hand Bryce had to grip her hips tightly to keep from rousing the others’ to their nefarious act. He did all he could to steady her while also keeping pace, keeping her body responding to him in ways he’d only ever heard about before. In ways he finally had the courage to explore. She felt so good in his arms and pressed up against him, and his fingers were gliding in her wetness, and he could faintly hear the moans she tried desperately to swallow, and those little keens had him wishing they were alone, so he could feel the rest of her and she could feel him and...
> 
> And... 
> 
> And... 
> 
> Her breathing became ragged, one of her hands moving willfully to press three regulating fingers to her mouth, and she couldn’t think straight. Something awoke deep within her, and she needed him more than she’d ever needed anyone before. 
> 
> She couldn’t take it anymore. 
> 
> “Oh my god...” the whispered words tumbled against the shell of his ear. 
> 
> She didn’t mean to say it. She wasn’t planning on uttering a single word. Hannah was too lost in the confusion and pleasure building within her that the words just slipped out. 
> 
> “What?” Bryce whispered confidently, curiously, like he knew what he was doing to her.
> 
> His voice jolted Hannah back into sensibility. 
> 
> They shouldn’t be doing this. There were other people in the room.  _ He’s Keiki’s brother _ . They  _ couldn’t be anything _ . 
> 
> She released her grip on his shirt and willed her body to seize all lecherous responses.
> 
> “Nothing.” 
> 
> She averted his gaze, hiding her shameful lust on his shoulder. 

“It doesn’t matter.” Hannah shook her head resolutely. “It changes nothing.” 

But Bryce never let her get away with anything; 

“If nothing changes then no harm in sharing.” 

She huffed and expelled a sigh, grasping for any valid reason to keep the bittersweet truth to herself. Unfortunately, Hannah couldn’t find a single excuse. They both had moved on and were happy in their new lives. There wasn’t a single thing that could deter them from the paths they’ve carved out for themselves. 

“It changes nothing,” she relayed once again. 

Hannah shifted in place, meeting his true gaze for the first time in ages. She paused before holding her pinky up in the air, “Promise.” 

Bryce took the bait and linked their pinkies together tightly with his free hand. “I promise.” 

They were silent. Hannah knew the earth would shake the moment the words left her lips. She was afraid of the same things she was scared of nearly a decade ago. 

“So?” he urged expectantly. 

Hannah took in a cleansing, exhilarative gust of air. 

_ It’s now or maybe never.  _

Finally, as softly, as impartially, as she could muster, she uttered the words she should have proclaimed years ago; 

“‘I want you’.” 

The breeze vanished completely. And so did everything else around them - no friends howling in the distance, no crackling fire, no chirping cicadas, no rustling of waves. Just these two people with hearts beating out of synch. 

Her words settled around them along with all the rampant what-if’s. 

All Bryce could do or say in regards to the new information was one simple sentiment; 

“Shit.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you made it this far, thank you. This is something I’ve had on my mind for a while and didn’t feel confident putting into words. It’s based on real things and feelings that have happened under the disguise of Bryce and Hannah.


End file.
